Documents are typically fed into document scanners from input trays, and then transported past image capture devices which acquire images of the documents being scanned. The images captured are then stored in a buffer memory and analyzed by an image processor. Following the imaging, the documents are then output into one or more output trays. When more than one output tray is provided, it is possible to sort the various documents being scanned into different trays, based on one or more characteristics of the document. These characteristics can involve document size, shape, or thickness. More recently, scanners have been able to sort the documents based on the content of the captured images.
However, in scanners that have provided sorting based on image content, the transport is designed to maximize the distance from the image capture devices to one or more paper path switching mechanisms that move a document onto a selected transport path for one of the output trays. By providing large distances between the image devices and the switching mechanisms, the prior art scanners provide time to for processors within the scanners to analyze the image, understand content in the image, and make a decision for the paper path switch position to guide the document onto the proper transport path to be output into a chosen tray. Each paper path switching mechanism typically consists of a mechanical blade like member that can be moved to two or more positions by a motor or other primary mover, such as a solenoid. When the blade member is moved to one of the two positions, the blade geometry directs the leading edge of a sheet into a given paper path and when the blade member is moved to another position the geometry of the blade member directs the sheet into an alternate paper path
In order to accomplish the sorting, the prior art systems require that the distance between the image capture devices and the paper path switch generally needs to be much longer than the document length in order to provide for the processing time. This in turn leads to increased size and cost of the overall scanner product. The increased size aspects of this approach can also diminish the ergonomics of the scanner, especially for a seated operator.